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International Desk, 09 June, 2025 :The Israeli Navy has intercepted the humanitarian aid ship "Madleen," operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which was carrying supplies for the war-torn residents of Gaza.
All 12 crew members onboard, including renowned Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French Member of Parliament Rima Hassan, have been detained and taken to Israel. According to a post by Rima Hassan on X and a statement from Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the vessel was stopped in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea around 2 a.m. local time on Sunday.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that the vessel, referred to as a “selfie yacht” carrying “celebrities,” was brought to Israel’s coast, and the crew is safe in custody, provided with sandwiches and water. The ministry stated that the aid onboard would be delivered to Gaza through “established humanitarian channels.”
The British-flagged Madleen set sail from Sicily, Italy, on June 1, carrying limited but symbolic amounts of food and baby formula. Israel has maintained a naval blockade on Gaza since 2007, following Hamas’s rise to power. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had ordered the military to prevent the ship from reaching Gaza.
Since March, Israel’s stringent restrictions on aid entering Gaza have triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, with 2.3 million Palestinians facing acute shortages of food, medicine, and water. The FFC’s mission aimed to challenge this blockade.
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, praised the FFC’s efforts, stating on X that while Madleen’s journey may have ended, the mission to deliver aid to Gaza must continue. She urged all Mediterranean ports to send relief to Gaza in solidarity with its people.
AI/MR
